The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


With our shield, or on it

Posted on April 03, 2017 by

Actually, mighty King Leonidas is understating here. It was 311% in the end.

Wings Over Scotland 2017 fundraiser total: £140,047.

To be honest we’re not quite sure where to start, folks. This year’s funding appeal has smashed every record in the book.

£53,000 more than last year.

£23,000 more than the previous all-time best.

– the first time we’ve collected more than 300% of the target.

– total achieved despite Indiegogo making it harder to donate.

– and despite competition from a huge “official” SNP fundraiser.

– and despite active sabotage from people we won’t dignify with namechecks.

This year’s headline Indiegogo total of almost £120,000 was supplemented by more than £20,000 in donations from other sources, the bulk of them coming direct through PayPal after IG banned the payment method for unknown reasons. (Which works out okay for us, as it means we only pay half as much commission on those donations.)

You are incredible. But we hope that you think you’re getting value for your money, because Wings is now reaching an audience which challenges (and surpasses) some of the biggest newspapers in Scotland.

The National Readership Survey is the media industry’s favoured statistical body for reporting its own reach, and this year it produced figures which for the first time gave us something close to a like-for-like comparison of online traffic for Scotland’s biggest news brands against our own webhost stats. The table comes out like this:

MONTHLY UNIQUE READERS IN SCOTLAND

The Guardian: 541,000

Daily Mail: 500,000

The Telegraph: 457,000

Wings Over Scotland: 346,000

The Independent: 276,000

The Scotsman: 248,000

Daily Record: 247,000

Daily Express: 241,000

The Sun: 199,000

The Herald (paywall): 164,000

The Times (paywall): 64,000

We had to double- and triple-check those figures to make sure we’d read them right, but we had. On a microscopic fraction of the resources of any of the others, Wings is now the fourth-biggest politics news brand in Scotland. (And in fact quite possibly the No.1, since large amounts of the traffic of the others will be to non-politics content.)

None of that would have been possible without you, our amazing readers. We have no advertisers, no sponsors, no charitable grants and no billionaire backers. JK Rowling doesn’t cut us any cheques. Every penny that supports the work of this site comes directly from people digging into their own pockets to enable us to fight back against the relentless torrent of misinformation that pours from the mainstream press daily.

It’s an astonishing honour, and a hell of a responsibility to be entrusted with. We’ll do our best to keep living up to it for you.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

2 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. 03 04 17 10:56

    With our shield, or on it | speymouth
    Ignored

  2. 18 04 17 11:37

    The New Power of the People’s Media – ScotVote.info
    Ignored

210 to “With our shield, or on it”

  1. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Ain’t no stopping us now! Bring it on!
    😀

  2. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s heartening to see so much support for Wings.

    Well done for creating such a valuable and honest source of information.

  3. McBoxheid
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank you for taking the responsibility and using your journalistic talent to do something that the msm doesn’t do. Honest journalism with factual analysis and figues to prove any point you put across. It is little wonder that you have reach such a high circulation. People are sick to death of the lies that sew forth from the Unionist Media, right across the spectrum, from newsprint to tv and online services.

  4. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    With our shield, or on it.

    Sounds about right. 🙂

  5. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    Worth every penny Rev.Stu. We will do it again, when necessary.
    Thank You and All who fly with You.

    Peace, Love and Lottsa Lolly
    🙂

  6. mike gunn
    Ignored
    says:

    Way to go!! Well done and lets all keep pushing.

  7. Penderyn
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done mate. I love reading your articles – I’m not always in agreement, but you research very well and present them in a readable format. Wish we had something of this calibre in Wales for Wales.

  8. Jock Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    The added bonus is the Yoons waking up to this on a lovely sunny Monday morning. Batten down the hatches.

  9. Flower of Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Well don’t Stu! I’m here first during the day to get my news from Wings and from the comments on here.

    Nobody misses a thing and Wings gets us well past the misinformation of most of the media.

  10. Craig P
    Ignored
    says:

    Amazing what one person with a mission can do! Well done Stu. I am just sad that English newspapers get 2.278m views in Scotland while indigenous newspapers only get 659k views.

    But I suppose if Scots are going to be denigrated and put down by our own media, we might as well get it from the source.

  11. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Still more to come

    Thanks a Billion Rev Stu for keeping Scotland sane.

    Plus the others too many too name.

  12. Cuilean
    Ignored
    says:

    Imagine what this country’s ‘news output’ would be like without Wings,Ginger Dug etc. etc.

    Just think of the lies that Gordon Brewster & all his ilk would be broadcasting without Wings’ reality check, keeping them all on tight leashes.

    No wonder they all hate you so much.

    We will overcome them all some day.

    WE are the people.

  13. X_Sticks
    Ignored
    says:

    Great news Stuart and well deserved. You do a fantastic job of dissecting the british unionist media propaganda and misinformation. Happy to support the cause.

  14. Reluctant Nationalist
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s a watery substance emanating from my vision balls.

  15. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    @ too – to

    The site has speeded up. Too quick. The noo. Brand new noo.

  16. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    I would encourage everyone to Donate/ Subscribe via Direct Debit & give 100% of your donation ( cut oot the Middleman ) Paypal.

  17. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re welcome. Very welcome. Glad you stuck around for this “very boring” year!

  18. Neil
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice! Numbers 2 and 3 on that list are depressing as hell though, and increasingly number 1 is as well…

  19. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    Fantastic everyone, and proud to be a tiny cog.

    You are more than up to the task, Rev, the stats speak for themselves.

    Thank you, Rev, for all you do.

  20. Irma
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m so proud of you and what you’ve accomplished. Tears to the eyes!

  21. Bruce L
    Ignored
    says:

    Worth every penny.

  22. faolie
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant! Staggering amount of dosh. Can’t wait to start using the output on the doorsteps 🙂

  23. Baldeagle58
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow! What a final total, and Wings is worth every penny raised to help counter the blatant lies and misinformation from the MSM.
    More power to you Stuart.
    Thanks again for all the wonderful work that you do.

  24. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    A small price to pay to get the truth! I hope your readership goes up to 500k soon.

  25. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    I had never heard of Wings during the 2014 ref, only came across a WBB at my daughters house afterwards, thought the chance had gone. Been an avid reader for the last year since the outcome of the EU ref became close.

    As there are now many more readers hopefully more of the facts will be available to a wider audience. The MSM will still try and diss these pages, but ask people to compare the facts reported at the time between the MSM and Wings and let them ponder which was the more accurate.

  26. mogabee
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s something deliciously right about knowing that all of our money goes to someone who can fight the dailies and come up to 3rd place on such a list.

    Sweeties for Stu! 🙂 🙂

  27. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s hard to imagine how we coped before Wings came along. It paved the way for every other blog.

  28. Skip_NC
    Ignored
    says:

    Not sure I entirely agree with you, Ronnie. I think there is value in having a publicly-available Indiegogo total. That way, the more sane unionists cannot deny the bulk of funds raised. Even the less sane unionists seem to have stopped saying it’s the same £5 recycled many times.

  29. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Not the first time the 300 has been alluded to in association with Scotland’s independence. Declaration of Arbroath , “for as long as hundred” might be taken as a reference. The chevron on their shields in the movie is a capital lambda and references the phrase “Molon Labe” which is said to mean “come and take them” and unfortunately gets gun nuts in the USA all exited. It translates in to scots as “mon then”

  30. James Westland
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done – brilliant result!

    WoS is like an antidote. Whenever I witness some online pish from the yoon MSM or else accidentally catch a glimpse of a screeching Mail / Express headline, a quick dive into WoS sorts things out. Morale boosted and smile is back.

    🙂

  31. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re entitled to give yourself a wee pat on the back Rev, jist a wee yin mind, lots more work to be done.

    I allowed myself a wee celebratory raspberry turnover and mug of tea at the news we had reached 346,305 unique readers. Next stop half-a-million and i might just celebrate with 2 raspberry turnovers.

    Three-quarters of a million and i might just let the wife have one of my cakes. I have a theory, i reckon when we hit the big 1-million unique readers, we’ll get a landslide referendum result. And when that transpires we will all have our cake.
    🙂

  32. Snode1965
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember that all the MSM competition post on everything from celebrity gossip to cats stuck up trees.
    In my book that makes Wings thee number one on-line political source in Scotland.

  33. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    A beacon of light among the darkness of lies. I give you no false praise Stu. If not for your invaluable site the battle for freedom would be way behind.
    I genuinely believe more and more people will come to realise that the main purveyor of nothing more than simple truth can only be found at Wings.

    I salute you Rev Stu. Nothing more than a great man ,and nothing less than a first class journalist.

  34. martha chisholm
    Ignored
    says:

    Wings has been and always will be vital to our push for independence. Clear cut and honest it has helped us build and solidify our grassroots movement. Onward and upward Stu…!!

  35. Takeour blueback
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Rev, just remember…. they don’t like it up ’em! 🙂

    For Scotland!

    J

  36. Elaine May Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank you so much for your invaluable research and forensic analysis, for keeping us informed, teaching critical thinking and entertaining us with morale-boosting humour at every turn. #myhero

  37. Margaret Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Happy to have contributed. I’m on Twitter, don’t post but read yours and other pro-Indy blogs. Whilst you can be a bit confrontational and bad tempered from time to time, you’re still No 1 for getting the truth across to your readers. Westminster just doesn’t get those of us who are so positive about independence. I love reading the comments from your followers and look forward to more of your investigative journalism. Great stuff Rev!

  38. Tam Fae Somewhere
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done folks.

    This site removed the scales from my eyes a couple of years ago.

    Thank you.

  39. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    SKy lying again. Lying about Trump.

    Hasting the biggest ‘offshore port’? In Europe. Total lies. The NE of Scotland has 80% of UK fishing industry. There are no Spanish boats fishing/landing there, ever. Under EU fishing regulations. Each country has an exclusive 12 mile limit for each home port fleet. If there are Spanish boats in the West? less than 5% of stock affected.

    Any Gov would have to bring in conservation measures. The UK fishermen overfished the waters.. They were throwing back dead fish for years. They did not regulate their own industry. They were destroying their own industry. Norway always used bigger, appropriate nets. They thought UK fishermen were ignorant. The lies that are being told. There is a fishing season from October to February. In the winter months. It is hard and dangerous with often poor conditions. Many young people will not go into fishing if there are alternate occupation.

    Connservation had to be taken in or there would be no fish left. Scottish fishing was the domain of ignorant Westminster gov. The fishing minister was a clueless Home Counties Tory. The SNP Gov
    Finally have negotiated an EU deal to use bigger nets. In order for the quotas to go up. Improved stock.

    The EU have given £Billions in Grants/aid to help the fishing industry to survive. Expand provision for fishing markets. There is high employment in the NE because of the Oil industry. Workers prefers to work in the Offshore Oil industry or the supply boats.etc. For better conditions and remuneration.

    The fishing sector in Scotland need migrant workers and the higher remunerated EU markets for the best prices. Without EU membership the fishing sector will be worse off. There are still a good living to be made. Last year a fisherman bought the highest priced house sold in Aberdeen. £2Million price tag. The fishing communities were targeted by drug dealers. Young bored men with high incomes no time in their hands. It caused many problems in these communities. Offshore workers are drug tested and can’t drink offshore. A healthier occupation.

  40. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks very much Stuart Campbell!

    If you were a tory yoon, you’d never be off the telly, just like a certain dog food salesman for example, whom beeb gimps have decided is also Nobel prize deserving economist, for the UK ofcourse.

    Curios stats Daily Heil and Graun over a million hits considering The Guardian almost completely blacks out any Scottish news at all really, nice scenery, weather and Heil’s all about being a good British neo fascist, side boobs, ogling little girls in their underpants, how to vote Tory.

    Its a mad mad mad yoon world of English media Stu, christ knows how you survive it all.

  41. Bugger (le Panda)
    Ignored
    says:

    On a “politics” only basis Wings would probably come out top.

    The usual suspects, Mail, Express, etc seem to placeba great emphasis on tittle tattle and sensational Corry scoops. Clean that lot out and Wings would be head and shoulders above rest.

  42. Chas Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done to all involved.

    But it’s very worrying that nearly 20% of the population of Scotland read the Torygraph or the Daily Fail.

  43. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    The truth is a mighty sword and WOS is the site that wields it.

    Well done Wossers, yer the BEST.

    Look at the cash as being a foundation for hard campaigning, anything extra e.g. WBBs, can be financed later as needed.

  44. Paula Rose
    Ignored
    says:

    Good to know my favourite de-bunker of media myth will be around for a long time yet.

  45. Donald
    Ignored
    says:

    eh?? 1 in 10 of the Scottish population access the Guardian’s website each month. That simply doesn’t ring true.

    Anyway, more money in the kitty for the Rev to make sure as many as possible view this site – and hopefully get to read an updated WBB.

  46. farnorthdavie
    Ignored
    says:

    Great news on any day of the week; well done to everyone involved in the engine room and to us who provided the coal!
    Just to add a pessimistic note, and as Neil alluded to, we have an awful lot of unique monthly readers in Scotland of the big unionist papers which gives me a bad feeling about Scotland achieving independence.
    I hope I’m just having a wee bought of nerves!

  47. Ali
    Ignored
    says:

    “Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    wtf?!

  48. fillofficer
    Ignored
    says:

    there’ll be a heroin shortage in bath this week, then – enjoy

  49. Alison Rollo
    Ignored
    says:

    You will keep haveing my support!! Bring it on!! We need to get the lies debunked.

  50. TheBuchanLoony
    Ignored
    says:

    Could I make wee request on spending some of the funds please. Could there be back window car stickers with something like ‘Truth amongst the Lies…Wings Over Scotland’ on them. There is still a lot of people out there who do not know what Wos is.
    Well done Stu and everybody that has contributed.

  51. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Well deserved and your doing it for us deliberately!

    Aye the Telegraph? A rare bird in the shops I go in. Maybe they get them in a plain brown wrapper.

    The sun beaming down in Fife 🙂

  52. David Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re welcome, chief. Worth every penny and the informative effect is out of all proportion to the investment. You keep fighting, educating and informing and I’ll keep throwing the dosh into the hat.
    ??

  53. Sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    @Donald – blame it on people like my husband – he looks at Grauniad and Torygraph a bit like scratching an itch and making it bleed [he does that too!]. It drives him mad but will he stop…?

    Thank you, Rev, for the fantastic effort you and your team put into this site. As others have already said, it is the place to come for truth, useful information [a lot from BTL] and a morale boost from knowing how many people feel the same way as I do.

    When the fundraiser comes for the wonderful Wee [?colour] Book I’ll be ready. I expect it’s on the blocks – don’t keep us in suspense too long, Rev.

  54. Fireproofjim
    Ignored
    says:

    Ken 500
    Absolutely right re the short-sighted fishing industry.
    The Norwegian closed season is to protect the cod in their breeding season.
    In Scotland in the winter every fishmonger is selling cod roe – the eggs of the cod – then they wonder why the numbers of cod are in decline.
    There should be a total ban on cod fishing in the spawning season. In a few years the cod would have recovered, but the fishermen object and never look beyond the next trip.
    On the same subject I believe we should create artificial reefs in the North Sea by toppling the bases of the massive concrete platforms in the North Sea when they are shut down. This would create sanctuaries from the relentless trawling of the sea bed, where fish could breed undisturbed.
    Anyway the Scottish fishing industry is more a Filipino employer than a Scottish one these days.

  55. schrodingers cat
    Ignored
    says:

    well done stu

    soz but ot
    dorethy, from previous thread in case you missed it

    Ward 12 Victoria Park
    1.Feargal Dalton SNP (Nice guy, @FeargalDalton)
    2.Deirdre Parkinson SNP
    3.Allan Faulds greens
    4.Matt McGrath STUC
    Matthew McGrath Scottish TUSC council candidate for Victoria Park Ward Glasgow. Matthew is an NHS worker, member of Unite, was an organiser of the Socialist campaign for independence

    The rest are yoons

  56. Vestas
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ali 10:42 am :

    ““Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    wtf?!”

    I though that at first however its unique readers per MONTH & probably includes people who visited just one link on their website.

    The figures quoted by Stu are (AFAICT) online readers only and don’t relate to print sales – in retrospect that should be obvious from the “unique readers” stats, no way to tell that from print figures.

  57. schrodingers cat
    Ignored
    says:

    Ali says:
    3 April, 2017 at 10:42 am

    “Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    yeah, i thought so too

    500,000 hits a month on dm just from scotland?

  58. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done that man!!! You’re obviously doing something right Stuart 🙂

    And I see on the Wings Twitter our favourite Ginger Dug is doing nae so bad either with increased unique readers and page views!!! The message is getting out there folks 🙂

  59. Donald MacDonald
    Ignored
    says:

    Wings Over Scotland is my key reference point to understand the political will of those resident in Scotland… In Melbourne I chose a long time ago not to depend on the “gutter press”.

    Keep up the good work.

  60. john 58
    Ignored
    says:

    Plain and simple, thank-you Stu.

  61. Sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    @Donald 10.39 – blame it on people like my husband who looks at Grauniad and Torygraph rather like scratching an itch until it bleeds [he does that too!].

    As others have said, thank you Rev for the huge effort you and your team put into this site – it is a haven of truth, information [including from BTL], and a morale boost from being in the company of decent, sane folk.

    Please start the next Wee Book production asap, Rev – I’ve got my purse ready…

    And what about those posters that Glasgow Council [or whoever] wouldn’t let you have last time? Seems a good moment to try again.

  62. Reticent Bob
    Ignored
    says:

    I think WoS also has a greater deal of brand loyalty than any of the traditional media outlets, but you’re still not competing on a level playing field.

    You’re beating a fair few of those publications individually, but when you add all of the figures for all of the Unionist mainstream press together and then compare it to yourself the picture looks rather different. Then add broadcasting on both TV and radio into the picture.

    That’s the scale of the struggle any YES movement faces.

  63. schrodingers cat
    Ignored
    says:

    Exercitus noster est magnus,Persicus inquit,
    et propter numerum sagitt?rum nostr?rum caelum n?n vid?bitis!

    Tum Lacedaemonius respondet:
    In umbr?, igitur, pugn?bimus!

    our army is great said the persian, and because of the number of our arrows, you will not see the sky

    to which the spartans replied,
    then we will fight in the shade 🙂

  64. W Habib Steele
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations! I have confidence in your integrity and the truthfulness of your reporting and analyses.

    Do you have any plans to expand or start any new projects now that your funding campaign has been so successful? If so, I’ll be happy to hear about them.

    All the best!

  65. W Habib Steele
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations!

    Do you have any plans to expand or start any new projects now that your funding campaign has been so successful? If so, I’ll be happy to hear about them.

    All the best!

  66. Ruglonian
    Ignored
    says:

    Hey Stuey, you know that some of those pennies represent more than just financial backing right?
    Some folks want to support the very concept of Wings – as an ‘unstoppable force’ that is on the side of the consumer rather than the press, as an open forum for the exchange of ideas, as an activist resource, as a thorn in the side of the UK in general 🙂
    Keep up the good work

  67. Blackhack
    Ignored
    says:

    I think a lot of the figures posted for the likes of the daily mail and the Telegraph are click counts on online social media and not really “Readers” as such….Many a time I’ve clicked on a daily mail post on facebook just to see the lies being printed and that click could then be counted as a “Reader”

  68. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev

    …so glad you are not one of those people who wants a life ! 🙂

  69. Liz Rannoch
    Ignored
    says:

    Great total! Happy to have contributed – wish it could have been more.

    @ TheBuchanLoony 10.48

    Think car stickers are a great idea – though we may have to get a bigger car!

    O/T I smell fish… May is in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Hammond is in India, Fox is on whistle stop tour of Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Dubai and Oman.
    Fluffy in Burma and Singapore talking about Oil & Gas, whisky and techy stuff – signing away Scotland’s resources.

    Wings – Sanity Site for all Scots.

  70. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    Just goes to show – people actually do like facts and truth. And they can recognise it too.

    Well done, Rev. Well done Wingers.

    We’re winning the (online) media war.

    Slightly O/T

    All that stuff a few years back broadcast by the BBC in Scotland – you know, that guff about Spain vetoing Scotland joining the EU. How many articles did this site publish showing that ‘news’ for the utter, UTTER tripe and lies that it was? Now, FINALLY, we have an unequivocal truth direct from the Spanish Gov’s own mouth. They WON’T VETO Scotland joining the EU (and never would).

    Does that mean the BBC in Scotland were lying to us all that time? Is that why they are now know as BBC Misreporting Scotland?

  71. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    Anent cod-roe, the season has just finished. Hard to get in my neck of the woods anyhow, there are so few wet-fish shops left.

  72. Ian Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Small price to pay for countering lies & bias from MSM. Next target – unseat Mail Telegraph & Guardian.

  73. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations Rev but OMG The top three???

  74. ianbeag
    Ignored
    says:

    Well deserved. Next target top spot.

  75. John H.
    Ignored
    says:

    Wings is worth every penny Rev. Because you don’t depend on advertising you can’t be pressured by anyone thank God. The mainstream news media can’t be trusted to tell us the truth but you can, and they don’t like it. Without Wings many folk might have given up in despair on independence by now, so thank you.

    I’m ready to donate again whenever required.

  76. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulation Rev!
    You really have been the best thing in Scotland since sliced bread.

    With regard figures from the Mail/Hail, my wife and daughter
    do use their web pages, but only for the who’s kissing who stories,
    Fashion talk, for reasons beyond my comprehension, stories about
    The Royals, particularly Diana, who is a regular feature.

    They never go near their version of politics, nor imbibe on the slabbering
    Drivel that spouts out from their Tory columnists.

    It really is time the Scottish Government appointed a Minister
    Of Truth. I know just the man for the job.

    Seriously, I wish that you would use some of the new funds to
    Advertise this site. We must cast our net wider, as all too many
    People are of mind that the rubbish in the media has some degree
    Of truth.

    Well done to everyone who contributed what they could!

  77. Alex Beveridge
    Ignored
    says:

    A relative has just told me that this morning he went into a service station on the M 74, and was offered a free Sun with his purchase. Refused. Another method of fixing the circulation figures?

  78. Free Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    @Liz Rannoch @ 11:14 says:

    “Fluffy in Burma and Singapore talking about Oil & Gas, whisky and techy stuff – signing away Scotland’s resources.”

    Yeah, and probably claiming to be the main man in Scotland, when we know he’s nothing but an utter buffoon. I just hope there are some clued-up journalists out there who will point out that he slithered into westminster by the skin of his teeth and has fewer admirers in Scotland than a blob of seagull’s keech on a windscreen.

  79. david holden
    Ignored
    says:

    Not bad for a site that was supposed to be washed up after Indyref. Well done.

  80. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Whooo hoo! And I get to gaze upon the gorgeous Gerard Butler.

    Schrodinger, thank you I have just read the original

  81. Laverock
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks for what you do. You are reaching people others don’t reach. I’ve got a friend who never learned how to use computers. He’s in his 50s, never had to learn and never wanted to. But he wanted to find out how to get on Wings, so we have showed him and he reads every word.

    Very happy to donate and will give you more if you ask again.

  82. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Lie debunker. Here’s a handy cut-out-and-keep list of scary lies which the media spread daily to defeat Scottish independence. I’m sure many more will appear in the coming few months. Focus groups are convening as we speak.

    The Spanish Veto
    You’ll be at the back of the EU queue
    You’ll be forced to join the Euro
    Scotland has a £15b financial black hole
    Scots won’t get the UK state pension
    Scottish finances are ruined by the drop in the oil price
    Scotch whisky is running out
    Scots depend on fiscal transfers from England
    What currency will you use?
    There’s be a hard border with armed guards, watch towers, queues
    Scotland will have no Navy, Army, Nukes
    MOD will cancel building ships on the Clyde
    Scotland will be out of NATO
    Putin will invade
    Martians will invade
    Banks, Supermarkets, Entrepreneurs will all leave
    Scots won’t get cross border health care
    Exports will tank as only England buys stuff from Scotland
    You just hate the English
    You’ll be furriners to friends and family who won the war (in 1966)
    The BBC won’t let you watch Dr Who, Bake Off or Strictly

    BONUS POINT
    David Cameron will cry if Scotland leaves

    First one to get a full house wins a loud round of applause!

  83. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    When it comes to standing up for Scotland and the Indy cause, WoS is the online No1 by mony a guid Scots mile.

    Everything is full of source links. No references and it would just be opinion.

    And that’s a big issue with Yoon media, nothing is backed up with references to sources. They make a claim, but it might be nothing more than biased ill-informed opinion. The obvious example here is when they make claims about the findings of a poll in flowery verbose words, but no original question, no tables, no links to data sets. A bit of analysis and inevitably their supposed deductions don’t stand up.

    Yoons do the spinning and propaganda of fake news, WoS does the debunking.

    WoS deserves to have more readers than those top three peddlers of Yoon pish. How could that be achieved? Paid ads on Google for key Scottish constitutional searches perhaps? Printed flyers to be handed out, distributed to doors, etc.?

  84. Dan Huil
    Ignored
    says:

    Great stuff. Excellent timimg.

  85. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    Well from little acorns…..

    What I think has brought this success level to Wings is No 1, the work you put into it all.

    No 2, your decision to tell the truth via links to the subject thereby proving the are actually true facts as opposed to fake news.People really like and can trust your sources. This was the real master stroke employed in Wings.

    There are further paths for you Stu, and eventually, after Independence, you will receive your just recognition by the population and a then an unrestrained government.

  86. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella

    It would also be worth having a handy cut-out-and-keep list of scary facts about staying with a mad bad Brexit UKnotsoOK.

    Widespread rights removed
    NHS Scotland privatised against our will
    Most imported goods will be more expensive
    Devolution diminished, perhaps even dissolved
    Scots Law widely changed without mandate
    CAP payments to crofters and small farmers stopped
    Scots paying for Trident, WM refurbishment, HS2 etc etc
    Etc etc

  87. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Devine says:
    3 April, 2017 at 11:37 am
    Whooo hoo! And I get to gaze upon the gorgeous Gerard Butler.

    300 is said to be shown to troops the night before going into battle, madly/sadly.

    On the upside, I too have a six pack like Gerard. I do!

  88. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    From the EU’s Draft Motion for a Resolution on Brexit…

    “…should Britain seek to negotiate any free trade deals with other countries while it is still an EU member state, there will be no future discussion of a deal with the union”.

    So, back on the Funny Farm, May is in Saudi Arabia, Hammond is in India, Fox is in the Far East, and Mundell in Burma and Singapore…. None of them talking trade eh?

    Whoops… https://archive.is/474Z8

    Where is Britain going to export all its bullshit to after the Hard Brexit they are just sitting up and begging to be given, and after Scotland has closed its airwaves to BBC propaganda and chosen self-salvation through Independence?

  89. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Another total Tory PR job. Roaming the world on luxury travel. Gov credit card. The Tory greedy lazy, lying psycho bastards. They are starving children (and women) the world over. Dirty cowards.

    Another 1/4.million children in poverty in the UK because of benefit changes. Greedy, nasty unelected illegal Tory criminals. Committed electoral fraud to starve millions of children. Refused entry to 30,000 migrant children. They are responsible for making homeless. They are an appalling International disgrace. The world is laughing at their ignorant duplicity. Most of them should be in prison. Roaming the Middle East looking for funding, after they have been blowing the Middle East causing horrific problems for years. They are an International malicious joke. They should be paying compensation for rebuilding the total horrific mess they have made. Costing £Trns. A total waste.

  90. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Heedtracker

    Not so much a six pack in my case as a keg. 🙁

  91. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    And all this without a cookery corner or a crossword puzzle

    Astonishing frankly!

  92. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Rev Stu:

    ” … It’s an astonishing honour, and a hell of a responsibility to be entrusted with. We’ll do our best to keep living up to it for you.”

    Thing is, Rev Stu, you usually more than, “Live Up”, to our expectations. You be careful and don’t overtax yourself on our, and Scotland’s behalf.

  93. Shinty
    Ignored
    says:

    re fish -According to my ‘fishman’ most of the cod goes to England, we Scots like our haddie.

  94. Breastplate
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done to every single one of us and well done to you Rev.

  95. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Stu, another fantastic year ahead of that I have no doubt!

    Congratulations everyone. We have shown the unionist London Centric (mostly) press how things could be and more importantly SHOULD be done!

    I am just thinking about the monthly “readers” figures for the Guardian, Mail, Telegraph and the rest of the print media figures. Are they truly monthly figures as in copies bought or do they, as I strongly suspect, include all the FREE copies delivered to hotels etc.

  96. Eckle Fechan
    Ignored
    says:

    A phenomenal achievement. When we win I am sure your work will be recognised more widely and given the due respect it deserves.

    As an ex-pat rUK economic migrant considering a return to the Motherland if and when, I am curious as to the number of others in a similar position. How would that poll d’you think? And how many might plan to register to vote – I’m told there are ways and means.

  97. Ian McCubbin
    Ignored
    says:

    All excellent news for you and our cause. So impressed with the hit on conventional press.

  98. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ galamcennalath – good point. I Would add:

    fishing rights traded for London finance passporting
    all nuke subs based in Faslane
    War with Spain (or whoever)
    workers rights abolished
    slavery made legal

  99. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    For the non-techie amongst us: how do they sort out the data into different locations? The table says Unique Readers in Scotland. How do they know?
    …….

    heedtracker @ 11.58 is that six pack of yours McEwans or Tennants? LOL

  100. Shinty
    Ignored
    says:

    Capella @ 11.42 – ‘Scotch Whisky running out? Don’t you mean oil?

  101. mike cassidy
    Ignored
    says:

    And if some of the money could be siphoned off to pay for a ‘ban stv voting system’ campaign ….

    Any voting system which requires complicated explanations – see last thread – should be binned.

    And when you discover it has to take donkey voters into account!

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robson_Rotation

  102. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done.

    To help Rev Stu, that is just over 400,134 sherbet dibdabs at a well known store.

  103. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Congrats, Rev: tremendous news.

    Without Wings and the WBB we would be lost. They must hate the fact you can be crowd-funded whenever you ask.

    Thanks for the update, Capella @11.42. Of course, anyone can make up spoof ones like “Scotch eggs will be banned after independence” but the real ones are sometimes more outlandish.

    It’s the fruit loop Yoon world we live in.

    The Daily Heil figures seems amazingly high but you can’t necessarily presume all of their readers are No voters. I have a neighbour who was a Labour voter, voted Yes in 2014 and then joined the SNP. When I saw him one day with a copy of the vile rag he explained he bought if for the puzzles and the fitba’ section. Didn’t know it had either.

    Strange.

  104. Reluctant Nationalist
    Ignored
    says:

    Legerwood, it’s all done by computor thusly:

    10 IF data = “Scottish” THEN PRINT data;
    20 GOTO 10

  105. slackshoe
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done. The unionists will be spewing with indignant fury no doubt.

    Now let’s get to work making sure Scotland hasn’t forgotten their lies over the last 5 years, and making sure any new ones they invent don’t gain any traction. I know it seems like an uphill struggle but I feel the odds are beginning to tip in our favour.

  106. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Shinty – Scotch whisky running out – that one was overheard by Tinto Chiel – thought it worth including just in case.

    It would be hard for the MSM to use the “oil running out” theme in the next wee while what with the massive new field west of Shetland but, I suppose you’re right, somebody will come up with it. An extra ten points if anyone spots that!

  107. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Shinty says:

    Scotch Whisky running out? Don’t you mean oil?

    Whisky, oil … just wait, it’s only a matter of time until they try to tell us iScotland will run out of food, or fresh drinking water, jeez … air to breath! 😉

  108. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    Clootie says:
    3 April, 2017 at 11:14 am
    “Rev, so glad you are not one of those people who wants a life!” ?
    Clootie, I know your joking, I’m just adding my wee bit.No offence meant, my Friend.

    Love the life you Live and Live the life you Love!
    🙂

    Peace Always

  109. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Dave McEwan Hill – ha ha – thanks for the link to the Glasgowlive poll. That will be top item in the MSM news – not.

  110. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Rev! A beacon of light in a sea of shite!
    Put a link on the last thread for Marksimonfrankland’s blog – really interesting article. Not that I want to lure anyone away from here but really worth a read and i’m a virgin linker so there!

  111. Hoss Mackintosh
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Rev Stu!

    Well deserved for taking on the Unionist Press.

    Think that is what you call funding Bonanza.
    🙂

  112. Iain More
    Ignored
    says:

    As for those figures about the Brit Nat Gunboat Press, well I don’t believe those figures for a second. Are they using the Bailie Bean Counter?

    OT

    Have those dastardly Spanish acquired WMDs yet?

  113. harry mcaye
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu says the stats are for “online traffic” so won’t include any actual print sales.

  114. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Margaret Wilson says: 3 April, 2017 at 10:30 am:

    ” … I’m on Twitter, don’t post but read yours and other pro-Indy blogs.”

    Why ever not, Margaret? You seem like a very articulate and level headed individual. Cash and support are all very well but what makes Wings stand out, head & shoulders above the rest, is that Wingers debate and thrash out the Rev Stu’s articles and often go off topic and thrash out and expose matters not often seen or read elsewhere.

    Furthermore, Wingers are usually people with a really great sense of humour and a good sense of fun. Quite the opposite of the usually sour faced, angry and miserable as sin, full of hate, unionist supporting activists.

  115. Tartanarse
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it possible that some of the traffic for the rags are a result of people clicking links from twitter and elsewhere? I’m a techno ignoramus so don’t know how these things work.

  116. Dcanmore
    Ignored
    says:

    Congrats Stuart.

    Glad I managed to make a contribution at the last minute.

    Those Daily Mail figures will also include a sizeable readership that clicks on their celeb (non)stories on the sidebar of shame, rather than their screaming politics.

    It’s also worth point out though that other worthy pro-indy people such as Phantom Power Films, iScot magazine and Independence Live also need contributions, as well as many on Stuart’s links panel… the Rev can’t do it all on his own!

  117. bittie45
    Ignored
    says:

    Integrity, Truth, Facts, Proof. The truth is out there. Aye, Its HERE… Brilliant news, THANKS!

  118. Artyhetty
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent. More and more people want actual facts in their news, not made up rubbish or lies. Those 3 rags top of the list are nothing but britnat propaganda.

    Comments on WoS by and large, very positive, and informative, as well as quite often witty.
    Have a great Monday all, just a month until our council elections, much work to do.

  119. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Chas Clark says: 3 April, 2017 at 10:35 am:

    ” … it’s very worrying that nearly 20% of the population of Scotland read the Torygraph or the Daily Fail.”

    Och! Chas, Yon’s naethin tae fash aboot.

    As My old Grandfather was wont to remark, “Leave thaim alain. It keeps thaim oot o the road o the fairm cairts”.

  120. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    OT I see on WoS Twitter The Rev has been retweeting loads of tweets from John McTernan? where he keeps saying “There is no such thing as British nationalism.”

    On the face of it, and given events since EURef, there is clearly bucket loads of nationalism on display, and I don’t mean Civic Inclusive Scottish nationalism!

    Is it really ‘British’ Nationalism, or is it actually English Nationalism? Most IMO is the latter.

    But what about fanatical Scottish Unionists? Are they ‘British Nationalists’? Perhaps, but so many seem to be wannabe English they may actually subscribe to Scotland being part of a Greater England with nationalism to match.

  121. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    “…Scotland hasn’t forgotten their lies over the last 5 years..”

    Indeed!

    WEE BLACK BOOK – THE MOVIE

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YwmOCqNxGU

  122. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    Those opposed to Scottish self government and now claiminmg recent oil find is worthless should read

    http://www.businessforscotland.com/road-prosperity-independence/

    Also some great stuff in the National this week about successful small nations

    http://www.thenational.scot/news/15198745.Alex_Salmond__Being_small_is_no_barrier_to_the_success_of_independent_countries_such_as_Norway__Slovakia_and_others/

  123. Artyhetty
    Ignored
    says:

    And that portrait of Stuart in the pic is a great bonus, well, maybe not so for the lads. 😉

  124. DerekM
    Ignored
    says:

    lol hear those big Wings engines fire up yoons?

    Great job Wingers and especially to the Rev for giving us all what we needed an archive full of facts and yoon lies.

    I can feel the yoons quaking in their boots if they thought we were a handful last time hehe 🙂

  125. paul gerard mccormack
    Ignored
    says:

    The independence movement are wholly indebted to the Rev and this site for keeping going in spite of everything. Truly amazing dedication and stickability in researching THE FACTS, while hitting all the incoming straight back at them.

    WOS is wonderful for morale, which is key. A huge thank you to the Rev.

  126. BrianW
    Ignored
    says:

    Glad to contribute to you’re continued dissection of the daily barrage of nonsense from those opposed to an Indy Scotland.

  127. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    TheBuchanLoony wrote at 10:48 am:

    “Could I make a wee request on spending some of the funds please. Could there be back window car stickers with something like ‘Truth amongst the Lies…Wings Over Scotland’ on them.”

    We already have window stickers available. Granted, they don’t carry the “Truth amongst the Lies” message you suggest but they do promote WOS. They are available via ‘ayeMail’ and are well worth the money, i purchased a few. Have a look!
    https://www.ayemail.scot/store/

  128. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Just a wee O/T here.

    Now that serious consideration is being given by the Scottish Government to giving every woman and girl in Scotland FREE sanitary products I wonder how long it will be before the RED and BLUE Tory party gets itself into a state and demands this idea be stopped immediately. 😀

    Just for good measure, when this idea comes into force Scotland will be the first country in the world to offer all women and young girls this necessary help/service.

  129. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    Proud Cybernat @ 13:12,

    A very effective vid, that. Easy to follow. We should find some way of showing it to all those folk who don’t access social media.

    Sinky @ 13:17,

    That new series of successful small-country articles is one of the best things The National has done, I reckon. By far the most accessible counter to all that GERS guff. (And a vast improvement on all those dismal letters they used to publish from self-proclaimed Yes-Leavers.)

  130. Chocolass
    Ignored
    says:

    Just coming on board. Fabulous work WOS. Follower for years and now time to raise my head above the parapet!

  131. Tarisgal
    Ignored
    says:

    WOW! This is brilliant, Stuart! But wholely justified! I just couldn’t do what you do (2 mins into ‘Newsnight’ or whatever and I’d be a screaming lunatic!) and the results of the fundraiser reflect the thanks of a grateful people that YOU do it for us! Lol! Seriously – thank you for the sacrifice!

    While the Wings site may not be top of the readership list, it behooves us to use the word ‘YET’ in this context. Only yesterday I put a link to the Wings site on an Indy group page that had no knowledge of you, the members and the work done here – an over 60’s group and one of the groups we really need to get into the heart of. I stressed that articles were sourced and linked to sources so they could be sure that they were spreading facts, not opinions. And I stressed the valuable information passed on by the commenters, and the humour that often accompanied the serious threads… Hopefully we will have some new recruits who will in turn pass these details on to their friends.

    I don’t know what Scotland would do without you, the site and the people here. All I can say is, ‘Thank God for Wings’!! Thank you, Stuart!

  132. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting wee article from the Iraqi News.

    http://archive.is/27mik

    As Mayhem has indicated she is willing to listen to the people of Gibraltar over their future. She is NOT prepared to listen to the people of Scotland over our future. Yet it appears that Kurdistan will get U.N. overseers during their independence referendum later this year.

    Since Nicola Sturgeon has been in the California for ONE day and already signed a deal and is due in New York later on this week I wonder if she is planning a “wee” trip to the U.N. to discuss something similar with regards to our upcoming referendum. 😉

  133. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Nae wonder they’re terrified of Wings!

    Well done Stu and well done us.

    Like others it’s difficult tae reconcile those top 3 figures in a Scottish context, think there may well be something in the shared links on twitter and even from Wings.

    The Herald’s figures will continue to slump since the paywall went up, I can’t access any articles from them now regardless of which browser ah use.

    This kinda makes a strong case for ‘archiving’, these clicks do indeed ‘count’ toward ‘unique readers’, which artificially inflates and conflates with the ‘apparent’ ‘popularity’ of these rags?

    No one archives Wings articles in practice we share them around. But if sharing any other articles from here on in from those other rags, do try to archive, you are then just sharing 1 ‘copy’ which does not accumulate the ‘unique readership’ clicks.

    It’s a ‘wee’ thing with a ‘big’ impact. We can drive the media agenda here in Scotland by design?

    Wings is now in a fundamentally unique position, there are now enough of us to ‘actively’ and radically transform the media environment in Scotland. We can alter those top numbers and those owners will lose revenue and ‘influence’.

    If Wings can be in fourth position in the digital landscape combined with the dying dead tree press, why can we not be in the number 1 position driving the entire engine of Scotland’s news agenda!

    Archive till ye boak.

    (Did you know you don’t even have to ‘open’ an article tae archive it? If you see a link that is not archived on btl, right click, copy. Open archive.is, right click paste, hit send…archived article. Go to address bar right click copy then paste that newly archived link wherever you want, result…nae ‘click’ count)

  134. Pumpherstoncowboy
    Ignored
    says:

    We’ll done Stu – Scotland’s Lie Detector

  135. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    Arbroath 1320 @ 1.45 pm

    On that subject it would appear the UK Government is taking a different approach and siphoning money away from a similar project.

    http://archive.is/xu1p4

  136. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    K1 at 2pm,

    Most excellent post! I’ve been thinking the exact same and wondering just how much of those figures certain folk on here are responsible for.

    I wasn’t going to mention anything about it, TODAY, as i didn’t want to risk removing any of the gloss from today’s momentous backslapping achievement celebrations.

    However, you raise a very serious point and the show must go on.
    😉
    https://www.ayemail.scot/store/

  137. Pumpherstoncowboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Fantastic Stu – Scotland’s Lie Detector !

  138. Shinty
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T -Goodness, gracious me what a load of zoomers here (LBC with AS) my favourite is our very own PSB who’s going to pack up his kilt and move to England.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae3gVkCnpsE

    Belated thanks to Capella & Galamcennalath

  139. louis.b.argyll
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Rev..solid confirmation of your media status.

    You’ve achieved a lot, helping massively in shoring up the critical agenda and dialogue, what now.. a new angle/title?

  140. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    heedtracker @ 11.58 is that six pack of yours McEwans or Tennants? LOL

    Legerwood, people always say what a fantastic six pack I have, just like Gerard. They do!

    Macart says:
    3 April, 2017 at 12:07 pm
    @Heedtracker

    Not so much a six pack in my case as a keg.

    Hit that gym soldier!

  141. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    WoS – keeping the NEWS REAL…

    http://imgur.com/a/7YIsU

  142. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Legerwood says:
    3 April, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Arbroath 1320 @ 1.45 pm

    On that subject it would appear the UK Government is taking a different approach and siphoning money away from a similar project.

    I heard about that the other day Leger and there are a lot of folks less than impressed with WM’s plans re the anti abortion group getting funds from this. This is especially galling when there were some groups that work with women on a whole range of health issues were denied funding.

  143. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath1320 says: 3 April, 2017 at 1:57 pm:

    ” … Interesting wee article from the Iraqi News.
    http://archive.is/27mik

    Now there’s a thing!

    I just clicked on that link only to be redirected to a Vodafone page that tells me the archive.is site has been blocked by Vodafone. I will be able to unblock it but it beggars the question of what axe Vodafone is grinding here?

    Facts – I am just setting up a new Vodafone fibre line and Vodafone router. To date I have no knowledge of a barred list until that page redirect.

    I just hope that this is not Vodafone being influenced by the Westminster Establishment Yoonitariate. If it is I will have to consider telling them I must reject them as my ISP.

    I just cannot see any good reason for an ISP to be biased against an achieve site. Illegal streaming sites. yes but why an archive site?

  144. Arbroath1320
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry about that Robert, never seen that happen before. Here is the unarchived version.

    http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/un-agrees-oversee-kurdistan-independence-referendum-official/

  145. The Rough Bounds
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian W. @ 1.33.

    The word you are looking for is’your’.

    ‘You’re’ is a contraction of ‘You are’. Your post doesn’t make sense because of this mistake.

  146. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers @ 2:44

    Might be a simple age verification check. Don’t ask me why, but I know archive.is pages kick in the adult content filter when viewed on my phone.

    Strange, but on the same account, the wifi is clear.

    I would guess it’s a settings issue local to you rather than anything sinister.

  147. Andy Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Very pleased you are getting the support due Stu, long may you be around to support Indy and us, your readers. Keep up the good work.

  148. Wee Alex
    Ignored
    says:

    Just back from my Monday coffee session with old friends.

    Last week it was all about Nicola should be getting on with her day job.

    Today it was about and I quote this from a Lib Dem Unionist supporter, “Nicola is quite right to visit America. All this nonsense about her day job”

    Ruthies tactics backfiring?

  149. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Am I right in missing Nana’s links?

    What’s up Nana? Hope everything is ok.

  150. Kupo
    Ignored
    says:

    Congratulations, Wings. Keep on pushing up that mountain.

  151. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Arbroath1320 says: 3 April, 2017 at 2:50 pm:

    “Sorry about that Robert, never seen that happen before.”

    Nothing for you to be sorry about, Arbroath1320.

    The thing that irks me is that someone I am paying to provide me a service should presume to block my access to anything. I can see a point in preventing access to illegal content like terrorism, child pornography or illegal streaming sites, but and archive site?

    The only people who could be objecting to archiving anything are the media who lose click throughs or perhaps advertiser. I’m just interested as to why Vodafone has an axe to grind. The page tells me how I can remove such restrictions but who chose to block them for me in the first place?

  152. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour used to say they stuck up for the workers
    Now it’s Nicola Sturgeon!
    Tories used to say they stuck up for business
    Now it’s Nicola Sturgeon!
    Greens say they stick up for the environment
    Now it’s Nicola Sturgeon!
    Liberal Democrats…stuck!
    All of these parties spend their days moaning about Nicola Sturgeon doing their jobs for them instead of being grateful

    Some day job that Nicola Sturgeon does she’s been more places and done more stuff before I’ve had my first cup of tea in the morning

    I’m out of breath just typing that

  153. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    In the daily Stranger: Just the bare bones.

    Nothing on any shortbread web site. 🙁
    ———————————————————-
    Nicola Sturgeon nets £6.3million deal for Scots jobs on first day of US visit

    The announcements from Spiritus Partners Limited, ION Geophysical ­Corporation and PPS UK will secure 44 jobs in the data analytics and life sciences sectors.
    All three firms have been supported by Scottish ­Enterprise through grants of more than £1.5million.

    The First Minister will have various meetings during her five-day visit to the US, aimed at promoting trade, investment, tourism and innovation.

    Among the engagements, she has been invited to give a speech at Stanford ­University on Scotland’s place in the world.

    She is also expected to sign a joint agreement with Governor of ­California, Jerry Brown, on tackling climate change.

    Sturgeon said: “The US is Scotland’s biggest source of inward investment and, in the wake of Article 50 being triggered and the risk of a hard Brexit, it is vital we continue to build on the success of our current ­business relationship with the US.

  154. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Brian? Your post made sense, Rough Bounds is a grammar stickler is all.

    Sometimes typos occur because predictive text takes over especially on phones or tablets. So ah really don’t see the point in singling out posters for spelling and grammar errors?

    Kindly refrain from posting ‘personal’ comments ‘at’ posters on this subject. You just come across as dictatorial and a bit of a twat…frankly.

    Oh and don’t presume to have the full picture regarding whether someone’s grammar and spelling has underlying causes? Do remember that many people have dyslexia and can have a wee bit of difficulty in this regard too.

  155. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks says: 3 April, 2017 at 3:19 pm:

    “Am I right in missing Nana’s links?
    What’s up Nana? Hope everything is ok”

    Nana has posted she was going away for a few days. You must have missed her post.

  156. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    Och Macart – I’m sure your being too modest and are a fine figure of a man! 🙂 😉

  157. Taranaich
    Ignored
    says:

    When this fundraiser started, my Twitter & Facebook feeds were inundated with messages from independence supporters demanding that us Yessers must not donate to Wings, that we should “reconsider” following Wings on Twitter, that we might be doing the cause of independence more harm than good. I don’t like people issuing ultimatums like that to me. “Don’t donate to Wings,” “don’t follow Wings,” “don’t support Wings” – or what? You’ll ostracise me? You’ll shame me? You’ll think I’m one of those bad cybernats Better Together warned everyone about?

    This, among other things, prompted me to write this blog:

    https://wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/i-dont-want-another-independence-referendum/

    It is because I’m serious about Scottish Independence that I follow, support, and donate to Wings. Back in 2013, I contacted a few pro-independence sources and outlets, basically saying “what can I do, how can I help, how can I contribute.” None replied. Different story here: the Rev responded to my first comment on this blog, and I’ve talked/debated with most of the contributors in the comments. Since then, I’ve had articles published on Wings (and Indyref2.scot, which of course didn’t exist in the first campaign).

    This engagement and accommodation of differentiating views is, I think, a big factor in Wings’ success. I’ve never felt afraid to present a dissenting opinion here, because I see others do so all the time.

    I disagree with the Reverend on many issues. I’ve found some of the things he’s said quite offensive, and have even written entire blogs on it. But when it comes right down to it, people will put their money where they think it is going to help their cause. That’s why Wings continues to go from strength to strength. Other groups, site, and campaigns should look to Wings’ success as a challenge, to dare them to improve, and do better, not complain and moan that people don’t spend their money on “more deserving” initiatives.

  158. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done Folks and a great big thanks to you Stu.

    We’d never be where we are now, nowhere near, without you x

  159. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry Macart – “you’re” – I’m not usually careless with apostrophes!

  160. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    I think the penny is finally dropping and peoples eyes are being opened. WM are trying to bully the EU and threaten Spain. We have been putting up with this for 300 years. Why are we still here. Stockholm Syndrome is the only reasonable explanation.

    I think when abused people see their bully through an others eyes and that they stand up to them. They see the bully in full daylight and that they can stand up to them as well. We are spoon fed a daily dose of venom from the press and now the UK government. The message being anyone who disagrees or fights back will be hounded and monstered by Empire.

    The monster is running out of friends and power. The meek shall rise and stand up to the bully. Scotland’s people have woken up.

  161. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Taranaich

    Well said and couldn’t agree more.

  162. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @ mumsyhugs

    I do indeed have a fine figure.

    Round. 🙂

  163. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    K1:

    I agree with you, I read Brian’s post and understood it perfectly, if we are all going to have to be grammatically perfect in our posts then quite a few people, myself included will have to desist from commenting at all.

    I can find no good reason to embarrass someone over a misplaced comma and have them maybe stop posting altogether. We need as many people as possible posting on WoS. Brian, like the rest of us, has probably donated to the crowd funder and so has every right to post, with or without perfect grammar.

    Peace Always to All Wingers

  164. Reluctant Nationalist
    Ignored
    says:

    heedtracker: “Hit that gym soldier!”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGLzm-Gy0dQ

    But seriously, don’t hit gym soldiers. If it weren’t for them none of us could pump metal in safety.

  165. findlay farquaharson
    Ignored
    says:

    whens the beanies gettin sent oot?

  166. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @mumsyhugs says: 3 April, 2017 at 3:48 pm:

    “Sorry Macart – “you’re” – I’m not usually careless with apostrophes.”

    I wouldn’t worry over it, mumsyhugs. Wings is rather more like a spoken conversation between members of a crowd of commenters.

    In spoken conversation there are no punctuation marks. Yet we all still manage to understand each other without them.

    I remember, many, many years ago a radio sketch. In this the point was made that we would understand each other much better if we invented, and used, audible punctuation marks in our conversations.

    What followed was hilarious with the interlocutor using various verbal noises to represent the different punctuation marks.

    Another point is that in conversation you cannot tell the different spellings of, for example, to, too and two. Yet we are in no doubt what the other person is meaning.

  167. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    I hope everyone here never forgets the only reason we are still here, the reason we who support Independence and continue to do so in our own way is because promises freely given were reneged on . Do this and we solemnly promise to do that, did they now ? . And most Scots believed it . And voted NO , the pretence continues in the media every single day
    This politics of grievance so often quoted by Unionists is the lie they hide behind, say one thing do another while trumpeting its the SNPs fault , we know the truth, how much longer they can keep it hidden who knows.Surely people can’t go through life being blind and stupid ? Who knows.
    We are at this point because of Unionist lies, And not our Truth . They are the problem not us .

  168. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    That interview on LBC with Alex on 29th March was a complete disgrace, the interviewer (Ian something), was so obviously a Tory supporting telegraph reading cool aid drinking establishment hack of the highest order!

    Alex could barely finish a sentence as that prat intervened time and time again with the rinse and repeat tropes and lies on every single issue regarding Scotland. The callers where clearly handpicked anti Scottish no and unionists, not one voice from anyone in support. He even quoted the debunked poll that said Ruth Davidson was the most popular politician in Scotland! The smugness, the oozing disrespect and contempt for the majority of our population’s choices, the twisted contorted logic involved in asserting that Scotland was comparable to an English constituency, therefore stfu!

    Appalling ignorance on display and if these are the people,who get ‘airtime’ down in England, no wonder their polity is as fucked as it is, ukip/tory supporting arses like him are the very reason that place is in the state it’s in.

  169. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    For those people who are kindly asking about Nana’s absence.

    Nana says:
    1 April, 2017 at 8:38 am
    “Good morning Smallaxe

    I’m sounding like a duck this morning, sore throat ,bad cough and generally feeling yuk. Extra links to last a couple of days in case I’m not here tomorrow.”

    I sent a message to Nana on O/T from all of us earlier this afternoon wishing her well.

    Peace Always

  170. dramfineday
    Ignored
    says:

    Come on Stuart, own up, you’re at it. It’s the old recirculating the fiver trick you pulled that last time!

    PS Delighted to make a small contribution to the pot. The thought of those liars frothing at your success has quite made my day.

    Well done everybody.

  171. asklair
    Ignored
    says:

    “Wings is now the fourth-biggest politics news brand in Scotland.” It’s only the start, never use to read Wings, foolishly I believed people when they tried to make out it was a “nasty” website. How wrong they were, if someone gets me to part with my cash, they are doing something right in my view of the world. Never paid a TV licence, never will.

  172. Graeme
    Ignored
    says:

    well done with the fundraiser this is the first time I’ve donated and it won’t be the last unless ofcourse it’s no longer required, money well spent

    Good to see Robert back

    Graeme

  173. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Heedtracker , you have made an old lady very happy – to think there are Wingers with six packs !

    Macart, round is a pleasing shape – I see it in the mirror every morning!

  174. Andy Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder what it would cost to send the wee blue book to every household in Scotland say 5 months before the vote?

  175. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done to every one who contributes to Wings, whether financial or their general thoughts regarding Scottish Independence.

    Capella 11.42am

    That’s a handy list you made up regarding Project Fear lies.

    Have copied for future use.

  176. Brus MacGallah
    Ignored
    says:

    I would guess that the Daily Heil firgures are mostly down to the click-bait fest that is the “Sidebar of Shame™”

  177. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    craigP

    Yes I was just thinking that. So many people in Scotland prefer to read English newspapers rather that our own.
    Anyway well done Rev, this movement couldn`t do without you.

  178. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    @K1 -you’re right it was a disgrace.

    I can now see the reason why the SNP don’t argue about GERS cos no one listens anyway.

    Also do worry and the stubborness of committed BritNats, who were claiming that Dale, a shock jockwith no quals in economics, had taught Alex a lesson.
    These people will never change

  179. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    “But we hope that you think you’re getting value for your money”

    You are worth your weight in gold as far as the struggle for Scottish independence is concerned.

    You are also a dangerous enemy to the establishment.

    Use some of the money to move to a safe secret location out of reach of the black arts brigade of the British Establishment before it strikes.

  180. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    “MONTHLY UNIQUE READERS IN SCOTLAND

    The Guardian: 541,000

    Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    Assuming that most of them only read one of the three, that is a shocking 1,500,000 readers in Scotland.

    Gives an idea of how extremely difficult it is to get a 50%+1 vote for independence.

  181. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Devine says:
    3 April, 2017 at 5:22 pm
    Heedtracker , you have made an old lady very happy – to think there are Wingers with six packs !

    They’re just like Gerard’s, in that 300 movie poster up there.

    They are!

  182. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Rock says: 3 April, 2017 at 6:28 pm:

    “Assuming that most of them only read one of the three, that is a shocking 1,500,000 readers in Scotland.”

    Bloody hilarious and Rock won’t even figure out why his calculations are utter mince.

  183. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers:

    Now we know where J.Bailie left her calculator!
    🙂

    Peace Always

  184. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    Worth every penny Rev. Ta.

  185. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Rock,

    ““MONTHLY UNIQUE READERS IN SCOTLAND

    The Guardian: 541,000

    Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    Assuming that most of them only read one of the three, that is a shocking 1,500,000 readers in Scotland.”

    Robert Peffers,

    “Bloody hilarious and Rock won’t even figure out why his calculations are utter mince.”

    Can’t be “utter mince” as you didn’t call me “bloody stupid”:

    Robert Peffers says:
    27 March, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    “Oh! For the Heaven’s sake stop being so bloody stupid. First of all you are not the person who decides what the purpose of the Rev Stu’s blog is. That’s the Rev Stu’s choice to make. Secondly you probably wouldn’t recognise a real Troll if it was chewing on your ear.”

    Thepnr,

    “@Robert Peffers

    You know something Robert you post a lot of stuff that people may like. You also tend to attack anyone who doesn’t have exactly the same view as you. Why?

    Give it a rest Robert, sure give us your opinion but tell me once more that “Oh! For the Heaven’s sake stop being so bloody stupid.”

    Then you will also be ignored. You should STOP being disrespectful to other posters. Give me your opinion by all means but stop telling me that mine is shite. OK.”

  186. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers, didn’t you say before that you didn’t read my posts?

  187. Billibalisic
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice campaign. Visit every evening. Well worth the donation. Keep up fab work.

  188. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done, laddie.

    Lots of hard work has flowed under the bridge since that first tentative fundraiser. Keep it up.

  189. archieologist
    Ignored
    says:

    Well Done Wings
    You do a great job for the people of Scotland in scrutinising and holding to account the biased unionist MSM a task that is long overdue !

  190. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Rock – please give it a rest – this childish spat is becoming boring! I imagine that you are a lot younger and fitter than Robert. Let your pride go in this instance and if you don’t like what he writes skip past his posts!
    I will not address Robert in this same manner out of respect for his age and condition and because he adds much more to this site than you do. Please give it up! If this goes on you will drive people away from this almost brilliant site! I hope that is not your intention!

  191. Shinty
    Ignored
    says:

    The Guardian: 541,000

    Daily Mail: 500,000

    The Telegraph: 457,000”

    Funny, these are the same 3 most popular papers 25 years ago
    when I worked in hotel. Check in Sunday or Monday, check out Friday for their flight ‘south’.The night porter could more or less tell the village newsagents their order for the week!

  192. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Rock says:
    3 April, 2017 at 7:47 pm
    Robert Peffers, didn’t you say before that you didn’t read my posts?

    I do. You hate The National and Scots lawyers or the whole profession.

    But you never make any sense Rock. If for example, Scots lawyers are so bad, how come its a profession that’s produced pro indy progressive liberal mega stars like Joanna Cherry MP?

    Look at her CV Rock, or some of it.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Cherry

    Cherry was educated at St Margaret’s Convent School in Edinburgh [5] and the University of Edinburgh, where she gained a first-class Bachelor of Laws Honours degree in 1988, a Master of Laws degree in 1989 and a Diploma in Legal Practice in 1990. Following her graduation she worked as a research assistant with the Scottish Law Commission (1990) before practising as a solicitor with the Edinburgh legal firm Brodies WS until 1995. She also worked as a part-time tutor in constitutional law, family law and civil court practice at the University of Edinburgh (1990–1996).

    Its people like Cherry who are more than worthy of our respect, if only because they are the type of people that step forward,
    into the front line, and fight for Scottish democracy.

    Meanwhile, ding dongs like you Rock, play your silly games btl.

  193. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert peffers 6.52pm

    rock 6.28pm

    What`s your problem with rocks statement. I immediately thought the same thing reading the total viewing figures for the Unionist press. rock says we are up against it, well he is right so take it seriously and save your “mince“ for your tatties.

  194. Vestas
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it too early to be nagging you about a fundraiser for 24 full polls? 😉

    £100-120k wasn’t it?

    Mmm yes I know we’ve been here before Stu but monthly polls (then weekly) in the runup to indyref2 are pure gold in terms of refuting propaganda.

    You got how many articles out of the last one?

    Also you ask the same core questions weighted the same way & we all get to see how its going – honestly, or as honest polls get.

    Then you ask different questions on stuff which has happened in the last month.

    You don’t have enough money IMHO. You probably have enough to get WBB2 stuff going/out and the odd poll or two but its not enough to do regular polls/analysis. Another 50k on that fundraiser & maybe?

    You know I think it’s worth doing, maybe others do.

  195. Geoff Bush
    Ignored
    says:

    Any time you need a bit more Stu, for widening the coverage say, and/or increasing Wings’ resources – just ask – we’ll be there.

  196. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    McDuff?

    Ah think the problem with the arithmetic in terms of the ‘digital’ media outlets is that they seem too high for Scotland. Some have commented that as we share so many articles from these particular newspapers on Twitter, Facebook and this site/other Indy/social media platforms etc that the figures may actually be ‘artificially’ inflated to some extent. We ourselves may in fact be contributing to those numbers.

    Part of the reasoning is that these numbers are not reflected by the ‘hard’ copies of these rags in Scotland and in fact the trend is that the dead tree press are losing readership at a constant rate since the advent of the web in general.

    We have to take this into account when assessing these figures, we too are reading articles from these sites and we do check in to see what the lunatics are up tae. So it won’t be ‘all’ unionists reading these papers?

    What is remarkable is the ascending and increasing reach of Wings in comparison with the UK ‘big’ names in digital publishing? What’s damning too is that Wings has thoroughly outstripped any ‘Scottish’ based news sites and this is what is truly significant in this context? When you place their numbers, these rags have been ‘staples’ in the public’s consciousness for decades, next to Wings…that’s what’s significant?

    To focus on those combined top three sites’ numbers as the ‘significant’ in the ‘Scottish’ context of news media is to fail to understand the enormity of what Wings has actually accomplished in a very short amount of time?

    Wings is altering the media and therefore political playing field in Scotland McDuff and these numbers confirm it…and he didn’t even ‘set out’ to do that?

    So ye either focus on the positive aspects or fall for the ‘hill’s too big tae climb’ cause look at those ithers and their numbers rather than see the reality. But instead look what we, all of us have accomplished, more and more people in Scotland are reading Wings?

    Also people may read an article here and there from the other sites…not necessarily ‘political’ articles either, (these numbers are not broken down) so maybe they are not really the ‘threat’ that those numbers at first sight appear to be?

    If someone is reading Wings, they are specifically reading the political/media climate in Scotland right now? The same cannot be said about the top three numbers?

    That’s what’s ‘wrong’ with drawing conclusions with no evidence to support those conclusions. People can read what they want it doesn’t make them ‘bad’ or even ‘unionist’. The mail, guardian and telegraph will still exist after independence, more importantly and salient Wings over Scotland is up there in terms of readership in the big league in a UK wide context…now that’s phenomenal!

  197. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Hey abdy?

    We are shaping Scotland!

    Did you know that what you write on here affects others?

    That people love to relate to one another, to share information, to be heard and to listen?

    We are winning this, Wings is but a reflection of who we are and what we aspire to…Stu gave us this platform and make no mistake the comments are a big draw to this site.

    He has written some amazing articles right from the off, go way back and read some of his earlier work, where 2 or 5 comments are left…now look at Wings today, there’s barely an article wi under a hunnered comments in any given day.

    Wings is the top political site in Scotland. It’s no far aff that mark UK wide. Just keep doing what we are doing. It’s working! 🙂

  198. Smallaxe
    Ignored
    says:

    K1:

    I’m watching you!
    🙂

    Peace Always

  199. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    LOL 😉

  200. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    K1

    The main point is that all these newspapers with a considerable readership are anti independence and along with the rest of the media pose a serious threat to indy2.
    As I have said before we need to find a way to alert the public to the daily diet of lies and distortions produced by these outlets as they do influence a great many of people.

  201. Donald
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev – is £300k enough to a send an updated WBB through the post to every household in Scotland? Just a thought.

  202. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    @Donald

    I think yes, provided the deliverers were foot soldiers like us. As far as I remember the first WBB fundraiser was £40,000 and that got 300,000 WBB’s into the community.

    There are 2.1 million households in Scotland, so 7 x 300k would be enough to get them printed at least.

    Figures are from memory but I’m sure the’re close. Got a spare £300,000 available 🙂

  203. Thepnr
    Ignored
    says:

    Oops 7 x £40K <£300K. Got carried away there 🙂

  204. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Bill McLean,

    “Rock – please give it a rest – this childish spat is becoming boring! I imagine that you are a lot younger and fitter than Robert. Let your pride go in this instance and if you don’t like what he writes skip past his posts!”

    Despite his age and condition, he remains an aggressive verbal bully:

    Robert Peffers says:
    27 March, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    “Oh! For the Heaven’s sake stop being so bloody stupid. First of all you are not the person who decides what the purpose of the Rev Stu’s blog is. That’s the Rev Stu’s choice to make. Secondly you probably wouldn’t recognise a real Troll if it was chewing on your ear.”

  205. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Rock – excuse delay in reply – just catching up. Do you think it’s possible that if Robert’s manner does not meet with your approval it has something to do with “his age and condition”? Despite that, he still contributes more to this blog than most, and relates history that few of us were ever taught about – deliberately! Thanks to Robert i’ve been motivated to read many history books and I can tell you that, despite your differences of opinion, what he writes is borne out by most historians. I would ask again that you scroll by his posts and avoid exacerbating the differences that are building. If not, as a declared independence supporter, you are providing comfort to unionists, who have so little genuine ammunition they will love the situation being provided for them here!

  206. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Bill McLean,

    “I would ask again that you scroll by his posts and avoid exacerbating the differences that are building.”

    I will keep on challenging this aggressive bully on any rubbish he posts.

    What he writes is utterly useless and irrelevant in the 310 year old struggle for independence.

    If thinks he is such an expert, he would have written a book by now.

  207. Bill McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    OK Rock – I give up. Feel sad for you!

  208. louis.b.argyll
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone fancy a game of..

    Rock, Peffer’s’s Scissors?



Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.




↑ Top